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Sometimes it's nice to get advice from experts with a lot of letter degrees behind their names, but other times, you just need to hear what another parent (with a M.O.M. behind her name) has done that has worked. You've got questions? These moms have answers.

how can I make myself go into labor?

I'm soooooo ready, I'm miserable at this point, I'm full term. This is my first child and I had no idea pregnancy could take such a tole on your body. Anyone got any tips on how to safely help labor decide to start?

There is nothing that you can do to initiate labor short of having a medical induction, which isn't ideal. What most women don't realize is that it is your baby who initiates labor. The exact mechanism isn't completely known, but there is evidence that proteins in the baby's lungs act as a signal to the mother's body that the baby is ready (lungs are mature and ready to function in air). Inducing a baby prior to that point (even at so call "full term") can put your baby at risk for not having mature lungs. So be patient. Your baby will be born when they are ready.

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